Yes, it is extremely hard to get into Broadway. The acting industry is incredibly competitive and when it comes to stage acting then Broadway is, perhaps, the best place to be.
There are a limited number of stage shows actively running on Broadway, and only a few parts in each show. Then for every single one of these roles you will have thousands of budding actors applying, even for minor roles in the chorus.
So, while you might think that it will be easy to get a job on Broadway, it is actually incredibly difficult, even if the role that you want to get is very minor.
Broadway is insanely competitive, and a big part of getting into these roles is knowing the right people. New York is packed with budding actors who want to make it, so it can often be very difficult to even get an audition for one of the many shows that run on Broadway.
So for the best chances of getting one of these roles, you should try and get into the right BFA programs and also get a good agent who will aid you on your journey to becoming a Broadway actor.
Do you need a degree to be on Broadway?
No, you do not need to have a degree in acting to be able to get a job role on Broadway. In fact, acting is one of the very few jobs where you do not need to have a degree in order to succeed in this field.
That being said, completing an acting degree will give you a lot of knowledge about the acting and audition process. This knowledge could be a massive help in making good connections that will help you get one of the top roles on Broadway. But, generally speaking, no you do not need a degree to be on Broadway. If you look at some of the most famous Broadway and stage actors, you will find that many of these people do not have a qualification in acting. They have simply managed to reach these top positions through experience and lots of hard work.
Of course, there are lots of benefits to completing a degree in acting, for example they can help you learn lots of technical skills and gain experience. However, you do not need a degree in acting if you want to work on Broadway.
Can anyone audition for Broadway?
Technically speaking, yes, anyone could audition for Broadway. However, there are lots of steps in the process which make it very difficult to get an audition unless you are an actor.
One of these steps is that for most of the lead roles in Broadway, production companies will only accept auditions from professional actors.
So what does this mean? In order to be classified as a ‘professional actor’ you will need to be a member of the Actor’s Equity, which is the union that is formed to protect actors. However, quite a lot of the smaller roles on Broadway will be open to anyone. But because of this, it can be very difficult to get an audition for one of these parts.
Theoretically, anybody off of the street could request an audition for these parts, but most of the time they will be given to actors who have agents. The only real time that just anybody can audition for a part is if it is an open casting call.
There is no official rule, but generally speaking, roles on Broadway are not given to actors who are under the age of 4. Historically, children much younger than this have taken part in big shows, however standards have changed, and this practice is now generally unaccepted.
For parents who want their children to become actors, then attempting to get them a role on Broadway while they are small can be an excellent way to kick-start their career. After all, some of the most famous actors of today were once child actors. The job roles for children on Broadway are limited. This is mainly because children are only really used in junior productions where the cast is entirely made up of those under the age of 18. If the adult acting industry is competitive, the child acting industry is even more so.
So, you shouldn’t expect it to be easy if you want your child to get a role on Broadway. If you want your child to achieve one of these roles then it is best to get an agent to help you get auditions.
